A Rose by Anyother Name Would Smell as Sweet
by EbonyDayDreamer
Summary: This is the Story of Tanner Kistner. She's been around the world and back because her father is in the army. Then she meets Ponyboy and every thing changes...I changed a bit, the story is not taken place in the 60's and they all live in L.A.
1. Chapter 1: The New Girl

Chapter One: The New Girl

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." Tanner Kistner stared at that line waiting for the meaning to jump out at her. She repeated it over and over again. First slowly then faster but she just couldn't grasp the meaning. She needed a break. Tanner glanced out the window and saw the beautiful dark night with the moon and stars brilliantly gleaming in the endless sky. She glided to the open window and climbed out of it to relax on the roof. Tanner enjoyed the night, somehow, she felt free from her problems and free from her family, and it always reminded her that someone was watching over her.

The concentrated silence was soon broken by the shuffling footsteps of her mom in her fuzzy blue slippers coming into Tanner's room. "What are you doing!" her mother yelled

"Uh…nothing!" Tanner quickly ran into the room to shut her book.

"How many times do I have to tell you to stop reading your Shakespeare books? I don't know why your grandmother got you those. Every time I see you, your nose is stuck in that stupid book. Why not open up a science book or a dictionary. And why were you on the roof! It's not for sitting on it's to cover our heads! Kayla would never do such inane things! Can't you be more like your sister?"

"I don't _want_ to be like her!" Tanner sighed.

Her mother rolled her eyes in annoyance and scanned the room. "Why haven't you unpacked your boxes? Everyone else has unpacked but you." She nagged.

"I'm sorry mom," Tanner said sarcastically. "But, I don't see the point."

"Not again.' Her mother moaned to herself.

Tanner continued, "Dad's just going to get based some where else and we're just gonna have to pack up and move our stupid stuff again…so what's the point."

Mrs. Kistner had enough and calmly said as she went into the hall, "unpack the boxes, stop being a drama queen, then go to bed, you have school tomorrow."

Tanner sat in the middle of her room angry and alone. "_School_" she thought, as her stomach churned. Another couple of months of being lonely, and neglected by her peers, being labeled as the "army brat" or "the drama freak". She looked at the unpacked boxes cluttering her room and went to work of unpacking the short lived memories all over again.

Being finished, she plopped herslef onto her bed staring at the dull white ceiling. A tight ball formed in her throat as she tried to hold back her tears. Her mom didn't care. In fact she only cared about work, money, reputations, Tanner's father and older sister. But Tanner decided that she didn't need her mom to care. She could get by caring for herself.

Tanner awoke the next morning to the blaring buzzing of her alarm clock as the rain hit against the window like tiny hard rocks. She glanced at the time and groaned at the thought of getting up. It was 6:45 a.m. and she wasn't exactly feeling "like a million bucks."

Being half awake, she slid out of bed and dragged herself to her closet on the other side of the room. She stared at the hanging clothes of bright colors in the closet. The day wasn't the day for yellow, or pink, or orange. It was a dark day and she wanted everyone to know that. After 5 frantic searches of the perfect outfit, she finally found a grey pullover and a pair of her favorite ripped jeans.

She sauntered to the bathroom to take a warm shower and to brush her teeth and hair. She finished and observed herself in the mirror as if she was waiting for her features to some how magically change. She was beautiful, but no one ever told her, so she never thought so. She took after her father: tall, dark skin, and sculpted. Tanner admired her father, he was strong and brave and he looked like a king when he stood tall. She remembered so long ago when she was six: she was looking up at her father with awing eyes. It scared Tanner that her dad showed no emotion, but that one afternoon, he went down on one knee so the hovering body was now eye level and smiled. Tanner knew that from then on, the intimidating officer was deep down, a loving father.

She turned and watched as her sister Kayla entered the room. Deep down, Tanner envied her older sister. She was perfect in everyway. Perfect body, face, hair, perfect personality, friends, and every where she went she had a perfect boy friend.

Kayla took notice of Tanner's studying glare, "What?" she glared back.

"Nothing." Tanner sighed.

Rolling her eyes, Kayla brushed shoulders with Tanner ask she glided out the bathroom door. Tanner turned and followed her sister in to Kayla's room.

Kayla opened her closet door as Tanner took a seat on Kayla's bed. "What do you think I should wear?" Kayla said throwing two different outfits on the bed. "The white turtle neck and the brown pinstripe pants, or the yellow cardigan and the jean minni skirt?"

"Who cares Kayla, either one looks fine on you."

"Yeah, but I don't want to appear that I try _too_ hard to look good, and each single garment gives a different impression."

"Well, why don't you wear the white turtle neck then…I think it makes you look smart but cool." Tanner advised.

"I think you're right Tanny." Kayla pondered and put the cardigan and the skirt back in her closet.

Tanner walked out the door to leave Kayla to dress. She thought about what her sister said as she walked down the stairs, "I think you're right _Tanny._"

How she hated that nickname her family dubbed her when she was younger. She approached the kitchen when she smelled the aroma of freshly brewed coffee, blueberry pancakes, and Canadian bacon…Kayla's favorite. "Smells good mom."

Tanner sat down at the table and stared at her glass of orange juice sitting on the fall leaf decorated place matt. Ever since Tanner could remember, Kayla's favorite meal was always made on the first day of a new school because it would always make her calm down. Otherwise, she'd have a panic attack over something that might go wrong. The slamming of the plate in front of her broke her train of thought. "Eat up." Her mom said in monotone.

Her mom walked to the bottom of the stairs and yelled up to Kayla to come down for breakfast. Tanner sat there scarffing down her food. "Slow down or you'll throw up your food Tanny." Her mom warned.

Tanner gnashed her teeth in annoyance._ Tanny. _It's TANNER! She wanted to scream. Kayla came thudding down the stairs. "Oh Kayla! You look so cute!" Mrs. Kistner exclaimed as Kayla rotated a 360 degree turn.

"_How do I look mom_?" Tanner said knowing she wasn't going to get a sincere answer.

"Oh…you look nice Tanny." Her mom said still admiring Kayla's ensemble.

"It's _Tanner_!" She huffed under her breath.

Tanner glanced at the stove clock. 7:00 and school started in half an hour. "Uhh…not to ruin your guys' fun, but I think we should be going now." Tanner stood up and emptied her plate in the sink.

"Oh but Kayla didn't even get to have breakfast."

"I'll be fine mom." Kalya said picking up her backpack, "I'll get something at school."

"Oh okay…you two have a great day at school!" Their mom said as she waved goodbye to them.

Tanner thought to herself: another new city, another new town, another new side walk to another new school where I'll, once again, be the new girl.


	2. Chapter 2: Greaser? Soc? Huh?

**Chapter 2: Greaser? Soc? Huh?**

The halls of Tanner and Kayla's new school were crowded with teenagers in their own clicks. They were all staring, already judging the two girls walking down the hall. They watched Tanner and Kayla like hawks, and whispered as they passed. Kayla didn't seem to notice. "Well," Kayla smiled, "this is it, our new high school. We can start all over. We can even be new people if we wanted to!"

Tanner wanted to throw up at her sister's excitement and stupid TV-like comment. Kayla had always said the perfect things at the perfect time and the fact that Kayla was always so happy bothered Tanner.

The girls came to where the halls split into two directions and went their separate ways. Tanner stood in front of locker #4783, intimidated by the whispering girls that she was surrounded by. "She's probably a Greaser." She heard, "Then why was she with that Soc looking girl" she heard another say.

'_Greaser_? _Soc_? What the heck!' Tanner thought in confusion. A hand grabbed Tanner's shoulder. '_Oh no_' she thought. She whirled around to see a tough looking girl that stood in front of her, knots formed in Tanner's stomach. "What are you doin' in my locker?" the tough girl snarled.

"Um…isn't this my locker?" Tanner stammered as she handed the girl a piece of paper.

The girl read the paper that clearly stated locker #4783. "Dang!" she whispered.

"I could…uh…see if I could get my locker changed."

"No, don't bother, just don't touch my stuff." She said as she took a Science 2 book out of the locker.

"Science 2," Tanner observed, "that's my first class also."

"Really?" the girl asked. "We can walk together then. My name's June. Yours?"

"Tanner." She said as she lightly shook June's hand.

Tanner was confused.Why was this girl being so nice? Before she looked like she was about to rip Tanner's head off. Now she was acting friendly. Tanner didn't understand.

The girls entered Science lab 2. The both of them took a seat at the table in the second to last row. Tanner examined the room noticing the nicely dressed people who looked sophisticated and then noticed the greasy looking ones that looked like trash. Three tall greasy looking boys walked in the classroom and took the three empty seats behind June and Tanner. "Hey baby" said one of them.

"_Excuse _me?" Tanner turned around in her seat to see a guy smiling.

"Not you, I was talking to June." He chuckled.

"Oh…" Tanner laughed back in embarrassment.

"Hi sweetie." June smiled as she gave him a peck on the cheek.

Tanner turned back around a watched as another greasy boy came walking in. 'They must be Greasers.' She thought. 'They sure look greasy enough'. The boy took a seat at the table next to Tanner. "Hey." He smiled.

"Hi." Tanner shyly smiled back looking down at her desk.

"Are you shy?" he playfully teased.

"No." Tanner blushed.

A big fat man with a thin comb over entered the room. "Class, settle, settle. I'm Mr. Winslow and I'm only introducing myself because we have a new student. Miss Kistner please stand and tell the class a bit about you.

Tanner's legs shook as if there was a massive earthquake happening. "Um…I'm Tanner Kistner and…um…I moved here from Fort Lewis in Florida about a week ago."

"Thank-you Tanner you may sit down now." Mr. Winslow smiled.

Then class began

After her third class, Tanner peeked at her schedule. Finally, it was lunch. Tanner went to her locker to grab her money when she saw June taking out her geometry book. "Don't you have lunch?" Tanner asked.

"No, I have the B schedule you must have A."

"Oh." Tanner sighed.

"Hey, don't worry about it girl, you'll be fine." June smiled and disappeared into the crowd in the hallway.

Tanner found her way to the cafeteria which was crowded so it took Tanner a while to get her lunch. Eventually, she found an empty table by the trash cans. "The reject table." She heard a voice say behind her.

"Yeah," Tanner giggled. "I figured that."

"I'm Ponyboy." The voice said as he sat down.

"Is that a nickname?"

"No, Ponyboy is my real name — Ponyboy Curtis." He proudly smiled. "I even have a brother named Sodapop, but we call him Soda."

"Wow, that's really different." Tanner chuckled.

"So…" Ponyboy continued. "You're new…how do you like the school so far?"

"I like it fine."

"That's good."

"Yeah…." Tanner said as she ate.

The rest of the lunch period was silent between them. Tanner felt so uncomfortable that she left him all alone ten minutes before lunch was over without saying a word.

'Why did I do that?' she thought as she pushed open the bathroom. 'That was so mean!'

The ringing of the end of the day bell made Tanner jump. She darted out of Mr. Syme's English classroom anticipating on getting home. "Hey! Wait up!" she heard some one yell.

Tanner turned around to see June running after her. "Hi, want to walk home together?" June panted.

"Trust me, I'd love to, but I've got to walk home with my sister. Sorry."

"It's fine, I'll just walk home with my boyfriend. See ya!" June scurried off into the leaving crowd.

Tanner had been watching June's behavior all day, as if she were studying some animal. June was so random and crazy, but in a controlled way that Tanner couldn't help but to admire. There weren't a lot of people who could pull off purple and blue highlights to bring out chestnut brown hair and still look gorgeous like June did. June had three piercings on both ears and a little nose ring that was shaped like a sun. She was tall and thick, but surely not fat and she had bright green eyes that always seemed to be smiling, even if she, herself wasn't. June was a free spirit and Tanner adored that quality in June.

Tanner walked out the double doors that had imprisoned and sat on the steps leading up to the school. She again, she opened up to the passage in her Shakespeare book that she had been trying to translate the night before. Ponyboy took a seat on the step behind her. "What are you reading?" he asked peering over her shoulder.

"Romeo and Juliet." She continued to read.

"I've read that one. But it wasn't as good as I was expected it to be."

She turned around and confusingly gazed into his brown, intense eyes that were staring back at her.

"What?" He smiled. "Surprised that a guy like me reads Shakespeare? Hasn't anyone ever told you not judge a book by its cover?" he mocked.

"Well…I just didn't expect…I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it." He smiled. "At lunch today…Did I say — or not say something?"

"Oh, Sorry about that" Tanner blushed. "I never know what to do in awkward silence. I hope you don't take it the wrong way."

"It's okay."

"Well, I see my sister coming so I better go." Tanner said getting up to leave.

"Good-bye." He waved.

Tanner got up and ran over to Kayla. She felt a really giddy feeling inside she had never experienced before. "Well, you look like you're glowing with happiness. Why?" Kayla grinned.

"I'm not sure…" She smiled.

The nippy November breeze sent chills up Tanners neck. She loved that feeling. She loved fall. She loved how the trees would show off the most remarkable colors of red and orange, yellow and burgundy; the sounds of fall—the leaves crackling beneath her feet, the whistling breezes , the smell of fall—everything.

"I need to talk to you." Kayla said suddenly on their walk home.

"Then go ahead and talk."

"Well…people have been telling me about these two different social groups and—"

"The Socs and the Greasers? I heard that too, but I don't get it." Tanner interrupted.

"Yeah, well, Soc stands for socials. They're popular, they dress nicer and they are more respected. The Greasers…well they're like hoods. So, I'm starting to think that you shouldn't dress that way anymore and you may want to re-think the people that you were hanging out with today. Some one even told me that boy was involved with a crime."

Tanner didn't know how to respond. She knew her sister meant well, but who was she to tell her what to wear and who to hang out with. They continued their walk home in silence.

When they got up to the front door, Mrs. Kistner swung the door open. "I missed you so much! How was your guys' first day?"

"It was awesome mom! I loved every bit of it!" Kayla blurted.

"Come, tell me more about it!" Mrs. Kistner guided Kayla into the kitchen and left Tanner alone.

"Mine was fine mom." Tanner sighed.

Tanner clomped up the stairs and went into her room. She slammed the door shut and flung herself on her cushy purple and black bed. She stared out the window as the rain started to pour down, thoughts ran through Tanner's mind at 100 miles per hour. 'Why does that guy keep talking to me? He's probably a Greaser or whatever. Was he really part of a crime? He seems so sweet. Does he like me? He can't possibly _like _meNo one even pretends to like me unless they're trying to get to Kayla.' Her thoughts were interrupted when her mom walked into her room.

She positioned herself on Tanner's bed looking as if she had something important to say.

"Tanner, Kayla told me about the whole issue at school with the Socs and the Greasies."

"They're called Greasers, mom." Tanner corrected.

"Yes, Greasers. Anyway, well…I think you should mind your sister. She's right, a reputation is really important and you don't want to get the wrong one. And I _certainly _don't want you around that boy Kayla told me about. So from now on, you can find new friends and you are surely going to be dressing differently, understood?"

"Yes, I understand…but I don't know if I can do that."

"Well, I don't care because you're going to anyway and that's the end of that." Her mom said walking out the door.

Tanner laid back down and resumed to her thinking. A thought appeared in her head that would be on her brain for a long time: 'Am I a Greaser or a Soc?' She knew what her mom and Kayla wanted her to be, but who did she want to be?


	3. Chapter 3: I feel Pretty!

**Note: I'm sorry, in chapter 2, I said Ponyboy had brown eyes. They're greenish grey. Sorry.**

**Chapter 3: I feel Pretty!**

Tanner awoke the next morning, lifelessly gazing at the ceiling and dreading the thought of having to be someone other than who she was the day before. Kayla rudely barged into Tanner's room and looked into her closet. "I'm choosing out your clothes today, and I'm doing your hair." She said matter of factly.

Tanner sat up in her bed, nonchalantly watching Kayla scavenge through clothes. "How about this!" Kayla squealed with excitement.

Tanner snapped out of her trance immediately at the sight of the outfit. It was a lavender argyle sweater and a khaki skirt that went down to Tanner's knees. Tanner remembered wearing that same outfit to an occasional get-together her family had with other army families. It was the time for Mrs. Kistener to flaunt her perfection and give off the illusion that her family was a happy well rounded family. Whether her mom believed that or not, Tanner didn't know, she just knew that all the other wives detested her.

"Oh no!" Tanner gasped. "You are not putting me in _that_!"

"Oh c'mon Tanny, it's really cute! Kayla insisted.

"Mom!" Tanner screamed, "Kayla's trying to make me look like a prep!"

"What?" Their mother said as she burst into the room with confusion.

"Look mom, I'm gonna look like a pansy in that!"

"Nonsense Tanner! It's darling. Oh, you should defiantly wear that."

"Mom no! That's gross!" Tanner wined.

Mrs. Kistner and Kayla pain no attention to the complaint, they were too busy ooh-ing and ahh-ing over what shoes and such would match. Tanner was frustrated because she had no say in this horrible situation.

After the fuss over the outfit, Tanner went into the bathroom to get ready. She squeamishly slipped on the argyle sweater and unhappily pulled up the skirt. Kayla walked into the bathroom ready to go in her orange long-sleeved shirt and a pair of light jeans that flattered her body and showed of her flawless hour glass figure. "Tanner you look so cute!" Kayla smiled and shrieked with excitement.

She turned Tanner away from the mirror with force. "Your hair will be a surprise." She explained.

Kayla made it so that Tanner's hair was half up and half down and placed a purple head band on top. Tanner turned around and looked in the mirror as Kayla admired her work. "Perfect." She whispered into Tanner's ear and left the bathroom slowly, watching for Tanner's reaction.

Tanner blankly stared at the unrecognizable girl staring right back at her. Tanner's bangs swept elegantly into her face and the untied hair brushed her shoulders which was a beautiful contrast against the lavender. Her lips felt slimy from the pounds of gloss Kayla applied to them as she rubbed them together. She wanted to cry. She didn't know if she was happy or sad, or angry or what. She held her tears back and breezed out of the room.

Tanner walked down the stairs and roamed into the kitchen. Kayla was eating breakfast and her mom was washing the dishes. "Look at Tanner mom." Kayla sang.

Mrs. Kistner looked up from the soap filled sink and smiled. "Tanny, you look beautiful."

Tanner smiled back to her mother and took a seat at the kitchen table next to Kayla and ate. Was she dreaming or had her mom really called her beautiful? Tanner's heart melted and a warm fuzzy feeling enveloped her body. Her mom did indeed say she was beautiful. Tanner was so happy that it didn't even matter that her mom called her Tanny. It didn't matter that she despised the outfit. She was beautiful.

Before the girls left for school, Mrs. Kistner reminded them as they walked out the door that their father would be coming home that night. Tanner's spirits soared even higher. Her father was coming home.

Tanner and Kayla stepped into the school through the ugly grey doors. Kayla glided down the hall; Tanner shuffled trying to walk in her white high-heeled shoes. She watched Kayla in her high heel boots and couldn't help but wonder how someone could walk as elegantly as Kayla did. "Kayla!" waved a girl with long sandy blond hair and big sapphire blue eyes. She looked Tanner up and down and smirked. Tanner this is Bethany. Bethany, this is my sister Tanner. Kayla introduced.

"I see you've changed for the better." Bethany sneered.

Fire burned in Tanner. "Oh yeah? Well you can take your attitude and –"

"Tanner!" Kayla nervously interrupted knowing that Tanner was about to say something low and dirty. "Why don't you go to your locker and get ready for class."

Tanner scrunched up her eyes and hatefully into the flaming blue eyes glaring back as if they were saying, "Watch yourself."

Tanner limped down the hall. Girls were laughing and pointing at her. She knew why. She couldn't walk in heels, in fact she look like a crippled duck. This time she felt confident, oddly enough, because yesterday she had been so intimidated by the murmurs of the girls. Was it because this morning was going so well for her? She didn't know, nor did she care. But Tanner knew that this great feeling of confidence wouldn't last long the minute she saw June punching and cussing out her locker. Tanner approached slowly but not quietly; the clacking of her shoes brought June's attention to Tanner.

June was now laughing**. "**What happened to you?" she asked, "looks like someone beat you with a ditzy stick."

Tanner rolled her eyes in annoyance and opened her locker to take out the books she needed. "Please don't bug me about it." Tanner moaned.

"Okay okay. I won't" June said assuringly but still laughing.

June and Tanner walked to their class. In the hallway Tanner got all sorts of looks from greasers and Socs, especially the boys. "_Oooh_, looks like someone's a babe magnet." June teased obviously noticing the flirtatious glances aiming towards Tanner.

Tanner and June sat in the same seat as yester day except when the Greaser boys came in that time, and awkward vibe was sensed by Tanner. June turned to Tanner and read her face. "We broke up." She explained.

A Greaser leaned in forward so that his head was in the middle of Tanner's and June's. "Well, we wouldn't have if you weren't sucking face with some jack a—"

"Shut-up Two-Bit. How many times do I have to tell you? He kissed me, I didn't kiss him back." June whispered with great emphasis.

"Yeah, what-ever June bug." He sighed as he leaned back into his chair.

June rolled her eyes and focused her attention on Mr. Winslow as he came into the classroom. The bell rang and Tanner noticed that Ponyboy wasn't there.

Ten minutes later, as Mr. Winslow lectured about atoms and such, Ponyboy entered the classroom and gave Mr. Winslow a late slip. "Take a seat Mr. Curtis and turn your text book to page 45." Mr. Winslow commanded.

Ponyboy took a seat at the table next Tanner's and June's and a small folded piece of paper landed on his desk. He looked to Tanner and mouthed 'For me?' She grinned and nodded.

_Why were you late?_

_- Tanner_

In no time, Tanner looked down and opened up the note on her desk:

_I know it's no excuse, but I slept in late. Why do you ask?"_

_- Ponyboy_

Tanner answered with a bashful shrug and he replied with a smile.

The bell rang and the students sprang from their seats. Tanner and June were walking out of the class when Two-Bit came up behind them. "June baby, I'm sorry. I know you wouldn't do me like that. Forgive me?"

"Yeah." June smiled batting her long thick eyelashes. "Oh before I forget; Tanner this is my _boyfriend, _Two-Bit, Two-Bit, this is Tanner."

"Hey Tan. Mind if I call you Tan? OK. You wouldn't mind if I stole June from you for a while, would you? We need to _make up._ Okay, great bye!" Two-Bit and June walked the opposite way and left Tanner chuckling to herself.

The last bell of the day came before Tanner knew it. "Hey Tanner." Said a familiar voice.

Tanner turned from her and stared at Ponyboy. "Hi." She smiled.

Ponyboy turned himself around to lean on the locker next to hers. Tanner could feel that he wanted to know why she was dressed the way she was—like a Soc. "My mom made me." Tanner explained breaking the silence.

"Made you do what?" he asked innocently.

"She made me dress this way."

"What way?" Ponyboy beamed.

Tanner rolled her eyes and he got the message. "I'm sorry, I was just messn' with you." He laughed, "But, I don't see the problem…"

Tanner raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"The way you look…" he continued. "I think you look pretty." He walked away in a hurry leaving Tanner floating on cloud nine.

Tanner glided out the door to her sister. "Meet a boy?" Kayla asked.

"No." Tanner snapped.

"_Okay, sure_." Kayla teased.

When Kayla and Tanner returned home they were delighted to see a tall figure greet them at the door.


End file.
